BANGOR City boss Kevin Nicholson lauded his side’s character as they returned to the top of the JD Welsh Premier League with a 1-0 win at Bala Town.

The Citizens returned to the summit after a gritty display which also saw new signing James Demetriou mark his debut with a winning goal, and they face another stern test of their credentials this Saturday when City welcome in-form Cardiff Met (2.30pm).

“It was a hard-earned win and we battled hard against a strong Bala team but I felt we just edged it and deserved to win and take a huge three points which puts us back at the top and we are delighted with the players and how they performed.

“I am delighted for James and for any new striker signing to come in get off the mark straight away and there is nothing better. Hopefully it will be the first of many to come and he gave us a significant presence in the second half.

“As with any team in this league you have to deal with their style of play and our back four were magnificent. We had to defend first and when we could get it down and play we spoke about utilising wide areas and create space and did that better in the second half which put added pressure on and we deserved to score when we did.

“We went on a good run before the Barry loss and today was about bouncing back at the first time of asking and we have done that at a difficult place for a huge three points and an excellent clean sheet.”

A tense encounter was settled after 75 minutes when Demetriou’s long range effort found its way into the net, and despite the Lakesiders putting the visiting rearguard under significant pressure during the closing stages they did not find a leveller to ensure their sixth success in eight league contests.